Depression/Social Anxiety = Mild Asperger's?

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Hi Everyone,

I'm new to this forum, and I wanted to introduce myself. I'm a junior in college and I think I might have a mild form of Asperger's. I'm interested in talking with other people who might be in a similar situation, and maybe we can help each other figure this out. I knew a little about Asperger's before, but it just occurred to me recently that I've probably always had some form of it. After doing a little more reading, a lot of the descriptions match me pretty closely:

1. Trouble making friends. (I've never really had any friends outside of school ever since I was a kid.)
2. Social isolation. (Outside of school, work, and seeing my parents I have no other interactions with people.)
3. Difficulty knowing how to make eye contact. (I either look away too much or stare too long, which weirds people out.)
4. Problems with groups of people I don't know, or only know formally. (I never know what to say to people and am always incredibly stressed out by it.)
5. Awkwardness and clumsiness. (I drop things a lot and have poor hand-eye coordination.)
6. Obsessions over obscure topics (Like philosophy, history, etc.)
7. Trouble structuring my life. (I have problems focusing on anything other than just sitting and reading stuff, like on the internet.)

I had a lot of problems with depression back in high school. I saw therapists and took medication. I stopped, and the depression eventually got a lot better. I still deal with a lot of severe social anxiety.

Does anyone else feel like their past (or even current) struggles with depression and social anxiety were really just reflections of the fact that you have at least the mild symptoms of Asperger's?

Thanks for reading, and I hope to get to know more people here as time goes on.

Yes! This is a good insight to gain. I spent much time wondering what was wrong with me, what was wrong with everyone around me (because I couldn't understand their priorities, expectations, etc), and thinking that maybe I was just crazy because I was unaware of the possibility of Asperger's. Finding the answer to this mystery has provided a brighter lense, through which to view myself more kindly, because I have done the best I could, and tried very hard, but I was trying to live up to the abilities of other people without regard for my own actual limitations.

Welcome to Wrong Planet

welcome. Depression and social anxiety are not symptoms that are used to diagnose aspergers. Many people have these issues and do not have aspergers at all. However lifes struggles and difficulty with knowing how to socialize due to aspergers can cause secondary depression and social anxiety. That is why so many people with aspergers develop these symptoms because of negative reactions some people may give to the person with aspergers. People with social anxiety may know how to socialize but become anxious in social situations. People with aspergers simply do not have the social instincts most people are born with. They have to learn them. Reading body language and relating to others can be very difficult to learn.

I have many signs, but I'm still not sure if I have a mild form of this with just the right combination of traits to make it seem more like social anxiety... or if I just have poor self esteem, excitability, and social anxiety.

I think AS/autism is just the result of some kind of early (prebirth) brain damage. The symptoms in people vary because not everyone is damaged exactly the same way but in a similar area of the brain...

I came to this forum for the same reason you and many other people came here.

Isn't this pretty normal though? Number two on your list: "2. Social isolation. (Outside of school, work, and seeing my parents I have no other interactions with people.) "

Welcome to Wrong Planet!

Yes, with some things definately. I had my first depression episodes in HS as well and they were certainly related to socialization difficulties. I also wrestle with anxiety, but am not clear about it's relationship to AS, as there were also more then enough non-asperger experiences to maybe cause it also.

Like your way of putting it as 'figuring it out together' & hope you can meet and make friends here. There are a lot of regular or occasional members in your age group and more arrive each day it seems.

Hi,
I am new and wanted to introduce myself. I am a senior in high school. I have social aniety due to a Nonverbal learning disability which is a autism spectrum disorder. I also struggle with making friends, social awkwardness, eye contact, social isolation and other things. I have been in therapy for a few years, I have struggled with depression, and am on a lot of meds. And I do feel that my struggles have a lot to due with my anxiety and depression was a reflextion of my autism spectrum disorder. I know that my autism spectrum disorder was caused by a brain injury after birth.

I look forward to chating ... Bye

Welkome to WP

Mick